The present invention generally relates to medical equipment, and more particularly to strapping devices used in patient transport.
Many different types of devices are used for transport of injured patients depending upon the type of injuries involved and the environment from which the subject must be removed for transport to medical facilities. The degree and type of trauma is often determinative of the type of device to be used, and hence the means of transporting. For example, severe back or neck injuries require a body board to immobilize the patient subject. In the case of suspected head or neck injuries, the body board is equipped with a head block device to immobilize the head and neck regions of the patient, making these regions very secure. However, unless the remainder of the patient""s body is immobilized in alignment with the head and neck there is a potential that the body will move even when strapped into a body board, creating a potential shearing point at the neck of the patient. The difficulties of this situation are considerably increased if the patient is very large and heavy because there may be an increased tendency for an obese patient to roll on the body board. Breakage of the strapping mechanisms in such cases is also a possibility.
To overcome some of these difficulties, there have been developed body boards provided with self-locking, releasable strapping means for holding a patient in a relatively fixed position on a body board or spine board having an attached head stabilizing device, such as are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,830.
However, during many patient transfers that utilize such a body board, potentially infectious biological fluids, such as blood and mucus, may contaminate the surfaces or soak into attached strapping devices, thereby increasing susceptibility to infection for occupants, as well as for medical practitioners and facility personnel. Washing or cleaning of patient bearing structures is possible, but manual cleaning often consumes valuable nursing time and also removes the patient bearing structure from service for an extended period of time. Further, manual cleaning may not be sufficiently reliable because contaminating stains are seldom completely eliminated, and thus the risk of transferring pathogens still exists.
In addition, in time of war or during emergency operations occasioned by fire, earthquake, flood and other natural disasters, the injured or dead need to be moved from sites that are inaccessible to ambulances and paramedic units. Similarly, in sports such as skiing, mountain climbing, and hiking, an accident may occur at a relatively inaccessible location, and removing the injured person may require specialized equipment and specially trained personnel. In many parts of the country, specially trained teams called technical rescue teams (TRT) are relied upon for patient transport in such situations. Strapping devices used by professionally trained TRT are required to meet rigorous tests of strength and durability.
Heretofore, such devices as stretchers, body boards, and Stokes baskets have been used to remove the patient from the scene. In the case of stretchers, litters and body boards, at least two, and preferably four, people are required to transport the stretcher or board and the patient. The Stokes basket can be transported by hand, but is also designed to be lifted and transported by a helicopter, or, when used at sea, by an arrangement similar to a breeches buoy, for transfer between ships. During such rescues it is extremely important that the injured subject not be allowed to roll or fall out of the transport device.
Accordingly, there is still a need in the art for strapping devices for securing a subject to a body board or litter that are separate from the board. In addition, inexpensive, preferably fluid resistant and/or disposable strapping devices are needed. Additionally, a need exists for strapping devices that will effectively immobilize the body of a patient whose head is secured in a head stabilization device, such as a cervical collar, and for strapping devices of sufficient strength to be utilized in emergency rescue situations.
The present invention overcomes many of the problems in the art by providing strapping device(s) for fixedly, but releasably binding a supine subject to a rigid board. The invention devices are especially useful for immobilizing the body (e.g., torso and legs ) of a patient whose head is immobilized by insertion into a head block or stabilization device, such as a cervical collar, that is fixedly attached to the rigid board. The invention strapping devices are not permanently affixed to any type of body board or other transport device and are designed to be either inexpensive to manufacture and disposable or reusable and of sufficiently high strength design to meet or exceed all rescue standards.
Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, there are provided strapping device(s) for fixedly binding a supine subject to a rigid board. The invention strapping devices comprise at least two lengthwise adjustable longitudinally extending straps having head ends and leg ends, and shoulder points and being fixedly secured together at the leg ends and shoulder points. The invention strapping devices further comprise bilaterally extending straps being attached in pairs to the longitudinally extending straps, with the pairs at the shoulder points and leg ends being fixedly attached, and additional pairs being attached to the longitudinally extending straps in spaced apart longitudinal relation between the leg ends and shoulder points and cinching fasteners attached to free ends of the bilaterally extending straps for fixedly, but releasably binding the subject to the rigid board.
In another embodiment of the present invention, there are provided strapping device(s) for strapping a supine patient into a litter with attachment points. The invention litter strapping device comprises (1) at least two longitudinally extending straps, each having a head end, a foot end, and a shoulder point and being fixedly fastened together at the leg ends and shoulder points, (2) bilaterally extending straps being attached by pairs to the longitudinally extending straps via slide fasteners and fixedly attached to the leg ends and shoulder points of the longitudinally extending straps, (3) buckles attached to the longitudinally extending straps and bilaterally extending straps for adjusting the effective length of the straps, and (4) locking fasteners attached to the longitudinally extending and bilaterally extending straps for releasably securing the straps to the attachment points of the litter.